The truth about Hainanese chicken rice

It was a disappointment because the real Hainanese Chicken Rice is quite different from what Malaysians and Singaporeans - and those in Chinatowns around the world - are accustomed to. In fact, on Hainan island, where the popular dish originated, it is known by a different name – Wenchang Chicken. It was a revelation because the Hainanese Chicken Rice sold in this part of the world is uniquely South-East Asian. It evolved and became pak cham kai, popularly served with soya sauce, spring onions, parsley, cucumber, oily rice and chilli sauce. Some stalls offer roast chicken, gizzard, intestines, heart and liver. I know of one stall in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, that offers self-serve soup made with chicken feet, old cucumber and vegetables, with some dried oysters and cuttlefish thrown in. The Chinese from Malaysia and Singapore who migrated to Australia, New Zealand, the Unit...